Upper Township was formed as a precinct on April 2, 1723, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township have been taken to form Dennis Township (March 1, 1827) and Ocean City borough (March 3, 1884).[17]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Upper Township as its 2nd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[18]

During 2008, Upper Township was considering consolidation with neighboring Corbin City. Corbin City already shares extensively with Upper Township for municipal service, but the question of consolidating municipalities across county borders presented an obstacle to a full merger.[19]

Upper Township is home to the only yellow fire trucks in Cape May County, a tradition started in 1985 when the Seaville Fire Rescue Company was purchasing a new vehicle and thought that federal regulations would require the color.[20] Since being formed in 1964 and purchasing its first fire truck a year later, the Seaville company has served the area, responding to over 200 calls a year from its fire station is located on Route 50 across from Dino's Seaville Diner.[21]

Strathmere (2010 population of 158) is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community located within Upper Township.[22][23] Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the township include Beesley's Point, Blackmans Island, Cedar Springs, Corsons Inlet, Formosa, Greenfield, Marmora, Marshallville, Middletown, Miramar, Palermo, Petersburg, Seaville, Steelmantown, Tuckahoe, West Ocean City and Whale Beach.[24] The township contains many different communities and enclaves that create a diverse area reaching from Great Egg Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. Seaville is the largest community and Strathmere is the township's island containing a beach community.

There were 4,566 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.[7]

In the township, 23.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.[7]

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $81,250 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,629) and the median family income was $97,372 (+/- $6,832). Males had a median income of $63,597 (+/- $2,442) versus $46,250 (+/- $4,552) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,702 (+/- $2,243). About 2.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[38]

There were 4,266 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.23.[36][37]

In the township the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.[36][37]

The median income for a household in the township was $60,942, and the median income for a family was $68,824. Males had a median income of $46,528 versus $31,325 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,498. About 2.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.[36][37]

Upper Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[5] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.

As of 2014[update], members of the Upper Township Committee are Mayor Richard Palombo (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2015), Edward Barr (R, 2015), John Coggins (R, 2016), Antonio Inserra (R, 2014) and Hobart "Hobie" Young (R, 2016).[39][40][41]

Cape May County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members, elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year; At an annual reorganization held each January, the freeholders select one member to serve as Director and another to serve as Vice-Director.[52] As of 2013[update], Cape May County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Gerald M. Thornton (Middle Township, term ends December 31, 2013),[53] Freeholder Vice-Director Leonard C. Desiderio (Sea Isle City, 2015),[54] Kristine Gabor (Upper Township, 2014)[55] and Will Morey (Wildwood Crest, 2014),[56] along with the vacant seat of M. Susan Sheppard expiring in 2013 that was vacated after Sheppard was sworn in as County Surrogate.[52][57] The county's constitutional officers are Sheriff Gary Schafer (Ocean City, 2014),[58][59] Surrogate M. Susan Sheppard (Ocean City, 2015)[60] and County Clerk Rita Fulginiti (Ocean City, 2013).[61]

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 9,154 registered voters in Upper Township, of which 1,403 (15.3%) were registered as Democrats, 4,454 (48.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,287 (35.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties.[62]

In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.2% of the vote here (4,165 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 40.9% (2,980 votes), with 7,286 ballots cast among the township's 9,053 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%.[63] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 61.1% of the vote here (4,391 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 37.6% (2,701 votes), with 7,192 ballots cast among the township's 8,988 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.0.[64]

^Staff. "12 Months Later / Corbin City, Upper Township await word on merger study", The Press of Atlantic City, July 20, 2009. Accessed October 17, 2012. "In July 2008, Mayor Carol Foster went to Trenton to apply for a grant to study the possibility of eliminating her municipality.Corbin City and Upper Township officials had proposed a merger plan four months earlier, as state legislators slashed municipal aid and offered incentives for towns to conduct shared-services studies.... Corbin City, which is part of Atlantic County, already shares its library, schools, fire company, emergency medical services and municipal court with Upper Township, which is in Cape May County."

^Higgins, Columb. "Newcomers sworn into Upper Township Committee promising change, but not overnight", Upper Township Gazette, January 9, 2014. Accessed December 18, 2014. "Newcomers John Coggins and Hobie Young were sworn into Upper Township Committee last Friday, Jan. 3.... The challengers ran as independent Republicans promising a change in how township committee operates, including imposing new term limits, at least on themselves."